After the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1956, and especially towards the end of the 1950s, differences of views arose between the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) and the CPSU on certain theoretical questions of principle in the international communist movement and on major questions relating to the contemporary international situation. This was not at all surprising. However, the Soviet leaders slipped back into their old ways of chauvinism, not only suppressing different views within the International Communist Movement, but also extending ideological differences to state relations. In particular, the Soviet Union, in disregard of China?s sovereign rights, pressed China to subordinate itself to Soviet control in national defence and foreign affairs to serve the global strategy of the Soviet Union. Such incidents frequently occurred and the struggle of control and counter-control between China and the Soviet Union became increasingly acute. To safeguard its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and to uphold and maintain Sino-Soviet friendship as far as possible, China adopted the policy of ? sticking to principle, striking only after being struck, keeping up the struggle, while refraining from going too far; upholding unity and opposing splittism?. After Khrushchev, the new Soviet leadership headed by L.Brezhnev not only refused to come to a halt but went farther along the road of opposing China. It intensified its military build-up along the Sino-Soviet border, stepped up its provocation of border incidents and deployed troops in the People?s Republic of Mongolia, thus advancing the bridgehead of its military threat against China to places only a few hundred kilometers from Beijing ? the capital of China. Sino-Soviet relations were seriously aggravated.


In 1960, instigated by Soviet frontier guards, the first boundary incident broke out in the vicinity of Potzuaikerh Pass in Xinjiang. China explicitly pointed out that the boundary question should be settled through negotiations pending which the status quo of the border should be maintained to prevent military conflicts. Prompted by China, the Sino-Soviet boundary negotiations were eventually held in Beijing from February to August 1964.


After 1964, the situation along the Sino-Soviet border further deteriorated and led to the outbreak of the Zhenbao Island Incident owing to incessant Soviet armed provocations and incidents of bloodshed directed against China. On 2 and 5 March, large number of Soviet troops intruded into Zhenbao Island. The Chinese frontier guards resolutely counter attacked and safeguarded China?s own territory. After the incidents, the Chinese Government repeatedly lodged strong protests with the Soviet Government, demanding that the Soviet side stop immediately its grave encroachment upon Chinese territory. In a statement issued on 24 May, the Chinese Government revealed the facts of Sino-Soviet boundary question and the Zhenbao Island incident, reiterating China?s consistent stand for an overall settlement of the Sino-soviet boundary question through peaceful negotiations rather then the use of armed force. This demonstrated the resolve of the Chinese Government and people to do the utmost to safeguard their state sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as their sincere desire to seek a peaceful solution to the boundary question.


Tension along the Sino-Soviet border continued to aggravate after the Zhenbao Island incident. The Soviet Union further extended its provocations from the Wusuli River to the Heilong River, from the sector of the boundary along the river to the sector on land and from the eastern to the western sector. On 13 August 1969, Soviet troops intruded into the Tieliekti area in Yumin County of Xinjiang, China. They penetrated as deep as two kilometers, unwarrantedly besieged the Chinese frontier guards on normal patrol duty and launched a surprise attack on them, killing and wounding many on the spot, creating yet another grave border incident of bloodshed.


With a view to easing the tense military confrontation between China and the Soviet Union, Premier Zhou Enlai met A.N. Kosygin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR at Beijing Airport on 11 September 1969 at the request of the Soviet side, and discussed with him the urgent questions in Sino-Soviet relations, especially the boundary question. Premier Zhou Enlai said: ?Chiarman Mao Zedong told you about five years ago that our debates on theoretical differences and matters of principle may go on for 10,000 years. But all these debated are confined to theoretical matters on which you may have your views and we ours. They should not affect the relations between our two countries. It is only natural that there should be debates on controversial views in the world today. Even when communism prevails or even after 10,000 years, there will still be contradictions and contentions. So long as we tackle the problems between us calmly, there is bound to be a way out?.


Premier Zhou Enlai pointed out to Chairman Kosygin further: ?With regard to the border conflicts, China has all along been on the defensive. A glance at the map will show that all the places where border conflicts erupted this year are in the disputed areas. You always allege that we want to fight, but why should we do so when we have so many domestic matters to attend to ? We have land vast enough for exploration. We have not stationed any troop on foreign land nor do we want to invade any other country. You have, however, dispatched large number of troops to the Far East. You have alleged that we want to wage a nuclear war, knowing full well the current capacity of our nuclear weapons?. Premier Zhou further stressed: ?Debates should be contentions without resorting to force. You have asserted that you will destroy our nuclear bases through preemptive strike. In that event, we will declare that it is a war and that it is aggression. We would put up a resolute fight against it and carry the fight to the finish?.




Premier Zhou also stated then that debates between china and the Soviet Union on question of principles should not prevent the normalization of their state relations; that the two countries should not fight each other because of the boundary question; and that Sino-Soviet boundary negotiations should be conducted free from any threat. Chairman Kosygin agreed to all this. At China?s suggestion, the two sides reached the following understanding: first, an agreement should be signed on the provisional measures to maintain the status quo of the boundary, avert armed conflicts and disengage the armed forces of the two sides in the disputed areas along the border, and then negotiations should be conducted for the settlement of the boundary question. This meeting led to the resumption of the Sino-Soviet boundary negotiations on October 1969 in Beijing.